Play Pretend
by SpyKid18
Summary: He needed her. And she was across the world. But she was Blair Waldorf, and not even an ocean would keep her from him. Post-Finale. CHAIR.


**A/N: Anyone else devastated by that finale?**

Play Pretend

She relaxed into her seat in the Parisian café and leaned her face back to catch the sun. Its rays bathed her face and she smiled softly before reaching forward for her glass of champagne. She took a small sip and the bubbles danced on her tongue. She loved Paris. She loved its cobble stone streets and quaint shoppes. She loved how it stayed light until nine and how no one batted a lash at her ordering a champagne before five. Chuck would appreciate that.

She chased away the thought with another gulp of champagne. This trip was supposed to rid her of that Basstard. He had defiled their love with that whore Jenny Humphrey and he did not deserve a moment of her time.

"Blair!"

Her head whipped to the side and the sight of Serena was so jarring that she nearly knocked over her champagne flute. Her friend's face was drawn and her lips were pulled into a tense frown.

She rose slightly from her seat and Serena pulled her up the rest of the way, her hands grasping Blair's forearm tightly.

"What-"

"You need to come with me. Now."

"I have to pay."

Serena reached in her purse and pulled out a fifty. Her palm pressed it into the wood of the table and then she proceeded to pull Blair from the cafe. Blair was going to comment that fifty dollars did more than cover her glass of champagne but gathered from Serena's stern expression that such a comment would not be appreciated. She couldn't imagine what brought her friend to such dramatics. It probably had something to do with Nate. Or even worse, Dan.

Serena pulled her behind a dress shoppe, which Blair found somewhat odd, and then ran a hand through her messy blonde locks.

"Blair, my mom called me."

"Oh no," Blair breathed out. "Is she sick again?"

"It's about Chuck."

She only heard bits and pieces then-something about a gun, red light district. All she heard were sounds and then all she saw were colors. A technicolor of blue, green, red as she felt her knees buckle beneath her.

"Blair," Serena gasped, grabbing onto her. "Come on, hold it together! We need to get back home."

"Chuck," she moaned, unable to work her tongue into any other word but his name.

Serena pulled herself together remarkably well once Blair unraveled and pulled them from behind the shop, calling a taxi. She opened the door for Blair and pushed her in. Blair could only think of what Chuck had looked like the last time she saw him. He looked completely broken, ripped apart by the cruel words she had tossed at him. Panic gripped her as she realized that those words could be the last thing he hears from her and she crumpled in the seat as she was consumed with tears.

The trip back to New York was a blur. It was a mess of tickets and phone calls. Blair turned entirely inward unless there was mention of Chuck. Even then it would usually only cause her to pale further and cast her eyes listlessly out either the jet or car window. Serena tried to convince her to stop home before going to the hospital.

"At least change," Serena urged.

Blair refused.

"I need to see him."

Serena followed her friend into the hospital, keeping pace as Blair moved at a remarkably swift pace for wearing heels. Rufus was at the front of the hospital, pacing back and forth in a manner that made Blair's stomach twist. She strode over to him and demanded, "Where is he?"

"Blair, he isn't allowed-"

"I am going to see him." Her voice held a finality that even Rufus could not deny. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before turning on his heel and telling her to follow. She shoved her hands into her pockets nervously, unsure of what she was about to face.

"It doesn't matter," she murmured to herself.

It was Chuck.

Regardless of his state or what he looked like, she was seeing Chuck.

Rufus stopped at a door and his hand hesitated at the doorknob. He looked at Blair and said, "He isn't conscious."

Her stomach dropped.

"Please step aside."

He sighed and let her past him. She opened the door and her chest grew tight as she took in the sight of him laying there with all the tubes and monitors. She could see a bandage wrapped tightly around his chest and her hand flew to her mouth. Her legs drew her shakily to his side and she collapsed onto her knees beside him.

"Chuck," she cried softly.

She wanted to cover her hand with his, touch him in some way, but she was too afraid it would hurt him.

"Blair."

Lilly's voice could not draw her away from him. No one's voice, besides his own, could make her move. She felt Lilly's hand on her shoulder.

"Blair, he isn't supposed to have visitors right now."

"This is all my fault," Blair said, refusing to turn toward Lilly. "I need to be with him."

"Come outside. He knows that you're here."

"No," Blair said softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He doesn't. He thinks that I have given up on us. But I haven't. I can't."

"Blair, just come outside and I promise when he wakes up you will be the first to see him."

Blair's voice retained some of its characteristic steel as she retorted, "If I stay here, I _will_ be the first to stay with him."

"But-"

_"Blair."_

It was so quiet that both Lilly and Blair nearly missed it. Blair's eyes widened and she reached for his hand instinctively, closing her own over it.

"I'm not leaving," Blair said, not taking her eyes off of him. "This is where I belong."

"Fine," Lilly sighed, but without looking Blair could hear the soft smile in her voice. "But you will have to leave when the doctor comes."

Blair nodded and then she heard the door close. Alone with him again she rested her head next to his arm and listened to the steady sound of his breathing.

CHAIR-CHAIR-CHAIR

She woke up to the feel of his fingers gently stroking her hair. She closed her eyes again and imagined they were home, nestled in his bed. There was no Jenny. There was no shooting. It was only the two of them, safe and secure in the comfort of each other's arms. They would rise lazily and drink coffee together, doing the mundane domestic tasks that Chuck complained were contrite but he smiled through, nonetheless. After their coffee he would take her into his arms again and kiss her until she couldn't remember her own name.

Just for a moment she let herself pretend.

**A/N: And I can only hope that something like this happens on the premiere. Thoughts? Rants on the finale? Leave it all here!**


End file.
